Joe Kittinger is The Man, IMHO...being The Guy With the Record. And he's assisting the Red Bull effort:

Quote:

'Now almost 82 years old, Kittinger has not still not retired to a life of golf and prune juice. In fact, in a way his life has come full circle. He is a member of the Red Bull Stratos project which for over three years has been working on a mission to get Felix Baumgartner to break the speed of sound by having him jump from 23 miles up. Kittinger is advising Felix on how to do what no other man has been able to in half a century-break his record for the longest, loneliest leap...'

Hope he doesn't fall TOO fast. I don't think he has a heat shield.

377: I'm sure Marla has some positive assets. I've seen her pictures. I only meant that her basically unsupported claims were a waste of time on a lot of folks in the Cooper case.

Haven't used a CB in years. My handle when I did was Viking. CB isn't dead, either. Like disco, it still has a lot of fans.

Joe Kittinger is The Man, IMHO...being The Guy With the Record. And he's assisting the Red Bull effort:

Quote:

'Now almost 82 years old, Kittinger has not still not retired to a life of golf and prune juice. In fact, in a way his life has come full circle. He is a member of the Red Bull Stratos project which for over three years has been working on a mission to get Felix Baumgartner to break the speed of sound by having him jump from 23 miles up. Kittinger is advising Felix on how to do what no other man has been able to in half a century-break his record for the longest, loneliest leap...'

Hope he doesn't fall TOO fast. I don't think he has a heat shield.

377: I'm sure Marla has some positive assets. I've seen her pictures. I only meant that her basically unsupported claims were a waste of time on a lot of folks in the Cooper case.

Haven't used a CB in years. My handle when I did was Viking. CB isn't dead, either. Like disco, it still has a lot of fans.

I was the Blue Max and when I would shoot skip I used unit 305 down in South Florida wav'n Hello........

Joe Kittinger is The Man, IMHO...being The Guy With the Record. And he's assisting the Red Bull effort:

Indeed he is. I met him once, nice guy with a lot of aviation experience beyond the balloon feat. Joe is revered in the jumper community, an Original Gangsta. I stupidly forgot to have Joe sign my logbook.

I don't usually double-post, but I've been giving thought again to holding a DB Cooper Whatever Thing at the Auburn Avenue Theatre next August.

Now...I know a lot of you out there in ThreadLand gave me the 3rd-degree because I canceled that idea last year for Auburn Days. But here's the deal: ALMOST NO ONE WAS INTERESTED. I put up a webpage on it for six months, and got TWO EMAILS.

That's right. So I canceled the idea. Anyone with a grain of sense would have done the same. However, with the proper support I might be willing to entertain this for the second weekend of August 2013. But I have to see some REAL interest or forget it.

The Ave seats 250, has a huge pull-down screen, and a big stage for panel discussions. AB always fronts the free refreshments at the Snack Counter. Gayla passes them out. Most people think we hired her for the day, when in reality she's The Prez. Not of everything. Just AB. (*laughs*)

One of the things I want to do is collaborate with a couple of different people on a short film that covers everything truly known about the hijacking, and all the known suspects. I mean ALL of them, the ones at WIKI, even if they've been eliminated. I have great equipment and Wondershare. It can be done. I could organize this to actually work, but not with negativity and certainly not without cooperation.

People don't want to hear that Ken Christiansen might be the hijacker, not by itself. They want to hear the entire DB Cooper story from all sides, all suspects, all angles. And that includes the Seattle FBI and their efforts to solve the case.

There are some benefits to participating. For example, core organizers will get a free box seat and lunch at Emerald Downs, a photo op, minor TV on a cable sports channel, and you can see the horses up close and maybe do some betting on the races. The main event is the Pioneer Queen race, held by Auburn Days and the track co-operatively. Anyone on the Auburn Days committee gets the royal treatment. As chairman for the Auburn Theatre event each year, I'm allowed to name a limited number of folks to attend Pioneer Queen.

Trust me, this is a fun thing. I won fourteen bucks above what I paid for parking, although you can park free if you're willing to walk. And walk.

This is something which cannot be done by just one person, or even the AB staff. It is much bigger than me, or anyone in this office. I see it more as a Northwest thing.

There will already be something next year guaranteed to pack the house. AB is working with the Auburn School District on our Young Writers' Project. Three kids will be signed to contracts/royalty agreements for the best three books subbed. Two will be published for Kindle, the first place winner for Kindle and six/nine paperback. Top three will be announced in the media before the event...but not the order of the winners. That will be done at the theatre. Exact time during that Saturday is still not set. Doing something for kids always brings a crowd. And why not? It's a nice thing.

Blevins, how many times are you going to do the it's-on-again, it's-off-again routine? Don't get pissed, throw a temper tantrum, and threaten to quit when things (like the tentative agenda) don't go your way. It's a broken record, like most of your posts. MeyerLouie

Is that so? Guess you must have skipped over this part of my post on that:

Quote:

'...I know a lot of you out there in ThreadLand gave me the 3rd-degree because I canceled that idea last year for Auburn Days. But here's the deal: ALMOST NO ONE WAS INTERESTED. I put up a webpage on it for six months, and got TWO EMAILS...'

THAT'S why it was canceled. Did you think I was going to pay the added expenses involved, go through months of organizing, and then no one wanted to participate? The alternate event at the theatre was a big success. By the way, it's posts like yours (see: negative) that were partly to blame.

Maybe I didn't explain myself sufficiently the last time. The theatre event is a part of Auburn Days. I am on the Auburn Days committee and I co-chair this theatre event. This means the city allows me to do whatever I wish at the theatre for the weekend. My co-chair does the Sunday stuff, I do Saturday. But this also comes with responsibilities, and the biggest one is to present to Auburn Days' Head Honcho Connie Henke an event for the theatre that people will actually attend, and/or participate. If there is no interest, then I have to decide on something else. If anyone around this place is interested my email is adventurebooksofseattleAT G frickin' mail Dot Com. Connie has told me that besides the theatre and the city employees to help us, that we might actually get a budget this time, too.

On a less smart-ass note, I have a few thoughts on what might work. A quick list:

Cooper-type parachute/money bag/briefcase demo, done by someone with access to similar items, i.e. a visual on how the skyjacker popped a chute, cut cords, and probably put together the whole jump package.

Short film about all the known suspects. Even the ones out on the edge.

Invite Geoff Gray.

Invite Himmelsbach. (although I hear he charges a fee)

Invite the retired agent who helped interview the witnesses in Seattle. (Still lives in Seattle)

Slideshow on KC. What the heck.

Dona Elliot has told me she would be willing to load up a van and bring Cooper items from Ariel and sell them from tables in the lobby. But she won't come if the program isn't solid. It's a long trip and a lot of hauling. But she's willing.

Invite the Bobby Dayton book folks. They live not far from Auburn.

Panel discussion with questions from the audience.

Now you're getting somewhere Blevins, talking about what might be on a symposium agenda. That's a step in the right direction. In addition, I would suggest asking for a demo of the flight simulation that one of our colleagues has been working on lately.

Blevins, are you getting more bold these days? Your posts these past few weeks have a "I ain't takin' no shit off anybody" kind of tone. No more Mr. Nice Guy. The change is good... I think I like it. MeyerLouie

Blevins, are you getting more bold these days? Your posts these past few weeks have a "I ain't takin' no shit off anybody" kind of tone. No more Mr. Nice Guy. The change is good... I think I like it. MeyerLouie Clipped all of the bullshit above. So far all you have delivered is promises.

Its brutal up at those altitudes. You lose O2 or pressure and it's over very fast. Your blood literally boils if your pressure suit fails.

377

I just want to borrow all the gear... for a speed skydive... I still wanna feel that sonic boom on my toes.

Amazon, If you put on all that bulky gear, you wouldn't set any speed records at the lower altitudes.

If successful, Baumgartner will probably go supersonic at somewhere around 80 to 100 thousand feet. After that, it is just a matter of slowing down for the next 13 or 14 miles of the free fall.

Control, or avoiding going into a horizontal spin, will probably be his biggest problem. In one of his first high altitude jumps, Kittinger got into a spin and passed out. His automatic opener paid for itself that day.

Kittinger also used a drogue chute on some of the later jumps to help maintain control. Hopefully, Baumgartner also has one in case he needs it.

The jump has now been rescheduled for Tuesday morning (October 9th) due to expected high winds on Monday. The winds must not be more than 2 MPH during the time the balloon is being filled. That means that if anyone sneezes within five miles of the balloon, they will have problems with it.

But just think of all the improvements that have been made in parachutes, balloons, pressure suits, oxygen equipment, electronics, etc., in the 50 years since Kittinger made his jumps.

The conversations you guys are having are not making much sense to me tonight.

Disappointed no one would discuss those last 2 photos on the thread because I really wanted feedback, but seems like you guys just want to play a game.

Well, I am not into games. This is NOT a game for me! My life's mission right now is to get my house in order and to get the FBI to sit down with me and discuss this and someone with me who can keep the details together and straight.

You guys can make a joke out of this or play your games - but NONE of you knew this man the way I did...or thought I did. I did NOT realize until this thread that Duane told me about his life in the third person. The St.Pete article proved that. THE ST.PETE article also (because of another file I have in my possession) is proof the FBI did NOT investigate Weber in any detail.

Weber could NOT be in 2 (two) places at one time! One cannot be in Folsom/SanQuentin and be in ST. PETE at the same time. This is why I need a good scanner and copier and someone at the FBI to ACTUALLY look at the DAMN files.

I just said somethings I deleted - and it is hard to keep all of this inside.

Farf - I hope you have to CRAP in a thicket of Poison Ivy and Blackberry thorns and a bed of FIRE ants! Then on that evening have to appear at your own Wedding without A/C and be dressed in a Tuxedo.

What you are doing is uncalled for and insulting. I certainly do not do what I do for my health and I am dead earnest. ALL I want is some ANSWERS after the witnesses have seen all of the photos, listened to a tape (of Duane's voice), viewed an old video. I also want the FBI to acknowledge the errors they made in their investigation of Weber or prove their information is true and/or prove the things I have are false (but, State, Military and Government records do not lie) or do they?

If you guys ACTUALLY saw these records - you would have a LOT of question yourself. Yet, the FBI will NOT even acknowledge a simple email and I don't even know if they get any emails I send.

P.S. Do you guys know why I did not go to WA when CARR was there and why I KEPT MY PRESENCE IN WA in OCT OF 2010 a secret until I was getting read to leave (and then I called the Portland FBI - NOT the Seattle FBI). WELL now I will tell you. CARR told me on the phone if I went to WA I would get in trouble - he made it sound like I could get myself arrested - if I had what I have now - I think I would have taken my chances.

I am not organized enough to make a presentation of this to the FBI and I am to emotionally involved. I had hoped this thread might be viewed by someone who could help - but, it has become obvious that someone on this thread could actually unveil Cooper and non of you would be able to see it.

Perhaps I am the blind one - but I knew Weber and I have the files and what the FBI says and what the files say do NOT match. The time lines are there right down a safe deposit box (one I asked CARR to check on)....NO one wants the story to end - because then you guys wouldn't have anything to debate.

Duane said "I'mmm Dannn Coooouper". None of the suspects any of you presented ever made that statement. NO other person in 41 yrs has persisted as long as I have and regardless of the opinion of the thread - Weber does fit the profile of Cooper! If I did not have the papers and what I knew matched what the FBI claims and we had never taken that trip to WA - we would not have had these discussion nor would I have used up 17 yrs of my life to fight this battle if I was not certain of the cause. It is callled JUSTICE. Something America left behind several yrs ago.

What is left of AMERICA is all about SECRETS rather than an open Goverment.

Decisions for the majority are made behind closed doors. The admendments on the ballots - how many of you actually understand them? I don't and the wording is so tricky even professors are having a hard time deciding what they are actually voting for. The way the wording is there - what you are thinking is a No is a Yes and visa-versa.

'My life's mission right now is to get my house in order and to get the FBI to sit down with me and discuss this and someone with me who can keep the details together and straight...'

Look...if you were willing to make a trip to Seattle and take what evidence/pictures you have to present, someone at the FBI would probably give you a half-hour of their time. The case agent would be best, but failing that, maybe the media agent. Set up an appointment six to eight weeks in advance...and then buy yourself a round-trip ticket and a cheap hotel room. Booking through American Airlines at least six weeks in advance will cost you $538 for a round-trip ticket. (Miami to Seattle and back) Say another $200 for two nights at an average motel, an additional $200 for transportation, food, and other expenses...you can do the whole thing for under a thousand dollars and probably come home with some of the expense money. You leave on a Monday morning, arrive Monday evening, see the FBI on Tuesday, return home Wednesday.

Its brutal up at those altitudes. You lose O2 or pressure and it's over very fast. Your blood literally boils if your pressure suit fails.

377

In his second attempt, the article says that the ground crew had to jettison the balloon so he could come down with the cargo chute that was under the balloon. "When the balloon was released, the gondola, with its door open, tipped forward at a 45 degree angle, but Nick hung on. He dropped for 25,000 feet, speeding towards the earth at 600 mph. After 15 seconds of freefall and 5 g’s of force, the cargo chute finally inflated." How did the ground crew jettison the balloon? Radio remote control? A Commodore 64 on board? nah.. those didn't make it til the 80s I think. Seriously - how did it work?

“Farf - I hope you have to CRAP in a thicket of Poison Ivy and Blackberry thorns and a bed of FIRE ants! Then on that evening have to appear at your own Wedding without A/C and be dressed in a Tuxedo.”

Thank goodness I have 600 TPI pillow covers to absorb all the tears I will shed after reading that suggestion. So your husband was a convict? It is hard to believe that ‘opposites attract’ in real life. Yep, rich hang out with the rich, college educated hang with college educated and convicts hang, in gallows. Well, that’s assuming a perfect world.

What exactly is a bed of poison ivy and Blackberry thorns? Is this something that you learned on the farm? I’ve never seen a bed of Blackberry thorns but I have pruned, tied and harvested many an acre of vines. Is that what your suburban dialect was trying to communicate? I’ve never seen a crop of blackberry thorns, but I don’t go around fabricating things either.

Why would you wish me to crap on them? The farm I was raised on would never consider allowing a person to relieve themselves on crops which would ultimately be offered to customers downstream. What sort of low class operation have you been around where people are crapping on finished food product?

So after crapping on someone’s crop of berries, I’m to marry without A/C but dressed in a tuxedo? What sort of VFW, church or convent wouldn’t have multiple HVAC systems? You may want to study some construction science or real estate courses then you would know how utterly absurd that statement appears. No A/C indeed. But what does that have to do with my crapping? I’m not as sophisticated and classy as you are; so have no idea what you mean by that. Is there something wrong with how I crap now, and why do you care so much? My goodness, you care about what I spend my time on, not having a wife or girlfriend and are obsessed with my bowel movements too. How do you have such capacity with no time, husband or boyfriend or people to guide what you do on an internet forum? When did you become so fascinated with my life, as I couldn’t care less about what you do and certainly have never thought about your toilet etiquette? I’m a little disturbed with your fascination over what I do in the bathroom, along with my free time, and who I associate with. Don’t you think you should find some friends and outside activities which will take you mind off my bathroom and when I may be using it?

But if what you imagine me doing with my pants lowered gets you off, I suppose that should not bother me since I’ve lived with this burden and women’s prurient intent my whole life.

Don’t you worry, I’ll still make sure no one talks about Kenny or Duane, just as you demanded. I’m cool like that.

I was agonizing over what parable, allegory or movie this thread reminds me of, and it was the ‘Big Orange Head’ joke from the 90’s. Just like this thread, it contains lessons on squandered resources, downstream process analysis and is associated with a large group of individuals who simply ‘don’t get it’.

So I see my neighbor ride up on a brand new motorcycle with a hot woman on the back, and he has this big orange head. I asked what happened to him, as I barely recognized him with such a huge head.

He says he found this old lamp and started to rub it, for reasons he wasn’t clear about. But a genie appears and grants him three wishes. Incredulous he wishes for a pile of money and is instantly presented with millions and millions of dollars.

The genie says he has another wish, where the neighbor thinks briefly and says he wants to be surrounded by beautiful women, and in a flash there were dozens of scorching hot girls all around him.

Then for his third wish, and this may be where he went wrong; he asked for a big orange head.

Re: [RobertMBlevins] I see a short vacation in your future
[In reply to]

In reply to:

Skyjack 71 says in part:

Quote:

'My life's mission right now is to get my house in order and to get the FBI to sit down with me and discuss this and someone with me who can keep the details together and straight...'

Look...if you were willing to make a trip to Seattle and take what evidence/pictures you have to present, someone at the FBI would probably give you a half-hour of their time. The case agent would be best, but failing that, maybe the media agent. Set up an appointment six to eight weeks in advance...and then buy yourself a round-trip ticket and a cheap hotel room. Booking through American Airlines at least six weeks in advance will cost you $538 for a round-trip ticket. (Miami to Seattle and back) Say another $200 for two nights at an average motel, an additional $200 for transportation, food, and other expenses...you can do the whole thing for under a thousand dollars and probably come home with some of the expense money. You leave on a Monday morning, arrive Monday evening, see the FBI on Tuesday, return home Wednesday.

NOT that simple for me. Flying is very difficult and I would NOT trust the files to shipping. Hotels- well the 2. I stayed in under 100's in 2010 ended up costing me 2 days in recovery because of the chemical they use to clean with. My eyes would hardly open, but both times (one eyes had only very blurred vison). Managed to get myself to another hotel (expensive) and lost a day of research both times.

My health and age makes me only good for about 5 hours per day.... The flights to and from exhausted me in 2010 and I have had 3 surgeries since then! I have been pushing myself and getting stronger, but can't keep a decent pace for more than 2 days at a time...then a day down not leaving the house. You have to realize that grocery shopping is a major ordeal for me on some days.

1/2 hour - it would take me that long just to show them the prison files very other files.

I need for someone to come to my home and help me get this STUFF in order and put a package together for NOT only the FBI but for the media. NO soap opera or twisting - just present the facts and the picks.

In my opionion that thread in that knife need to be checked agains the cut cords - it is the same color. Yet, I understand the FBI donated that chute to a museusm.

With the holidays comeing - plane flight are not cheap out of here and then there is the car rental on the other end - I can't get in and out of the little cares, but there are several individuals who have offered to pick me ups and drive me - I would inturn pay their gas and room and meals. in the niceplaces - there was a couch to made into a bed and or 2 beds. I am too old to be pretentious and guys don't interst me so no traveling problems of they can get away form work.

'I need for someone to come to my home and help me get this STUFF in order and put a package together for NOT only the FBI but for the media. NO soap opera or twisting - just present the facts and the picks...'

Come on, Jo. You've been pursuing Duane as Cooper since the 1990's. You're on thousands of references and stories regarding Cooper on the internet. Are you telling me that you can't find just ONE member of your local media who might be willing to help you? A reporter from a smaller local paper? Anybody at all? You are a well-known name, more than you might think.

If you approached a reporter in your area and asked them to help assemble an 'evidence package' for the FBI, you may be able to find someone to help prep the package. They're going to want a story on you, though. You should prepare for that, too.

Shipping? Send it FedEx insured/return receipt. It will get to the FBI.

On Baumgartner: My only thought on the jump is this. If he's going to come close to, or even BREAK the sound barrier during his freefall...then his equipment had better be able to withstand some fairly high wind speeds. Not at the higher elevations, but as he transitions into thicker atmosphere. At some point, someWHERE, there is going to be a lot of whipping around of anything loose on the suit. Then he should slow to terminal velocity, right? The key point, the most dangerous point might be that transition from extremely high speed, to slowing in the steadily thickening air.

I call this spot the Danger Zone. At max velocity, Baumgartner is theoretically falling at about 65,000 feet a minute in a vacuum. About 13 miles a MINUTE. (768mph is speed of sound) You start hitting thicker air. You hope the equipment holds until your speed approaches terminal, and that a combination of thicker air, high initial speed, and deceleration doesn't rip a critical piece of equipment before you reach terminal.

It's a guess, but the Danger Zone could lie between 45,000 and 30,000 feet. If he survives below 30K feet, his chances improve greatly.

I was fortunate enough to listen to a presentation by Eric Nalder, multiple time Pulitzer Prize winner. He said when investigating a public story often people would come to him with information. He said they knew they knew something, but they weren't sure what it was. He would have to talk to them and walk them through their story to figure out what it was.

That is exactly what Marla was. She had memories from when she was a small child that were rekindled in talking to her father shortly before he died. She talked of asking if she could be hypnotized to help her bring those memories to the surface.

She did not go public with her story at first, but first talked to a law enforcement officer and then to the FBI. The FBI is very good at finding out if someone is lying. They also can figure out if her memories were wildly inconsistent with the facts. Based on Dietrich's comments, they were not able to disqualify her.

That doesn't mean her memories are perfect. A couple of years ago was the 30th anniversary of John Lennon's assassination. Like many people, I heard about it watching Monday Night Football. That was a very traumatic event that I would have insisted that I could remember almost word for word what Howard Cosell. They replayed it during a special at that time, and I was pretty darned close. But, I was off on a few items. That surprised me that I had forgot those parts.

So, I think Marla was at the beginning of that road. Her memories were close enough that the FBI couldn't disqualify her, but couldn't confirm it either.

There is no question in my mind this board ran her off -- trying to contact her children, writing how many husbands she had, who had custody of her children and other personal items.

There is a lot of knowledge here that could have done what Eric Nalder does -- help draw our more of her story and tried to figure out things like how could her uncle jump in the dark in an unfamiliar spot, yet be found by his brother and make it to sisters by the next morning.

But, that's not what happened. She was attacked personally. So, she's gone.

Please stop discussing Duane as Skyjack71 has begged and pleaded and ‘wished’ this thread would stop, and move on to other suspects. We have too much time on our hands and not enough girlfriends and wives already; do you want MORE time on your hands? I’ll raise mine and vote- NO. I want all my time filled with mindless drudgery and ‘Mommy-Dearest-esque’ cleaning.

Please RobertMBlevins, won’t you respect Skyjhacks71’s wish and stop these discussions about Kenny and Duane as she politely demanded? If YOU must continue to bring up ‘his’ name, could you show some discretion and refer to him as the ‘Big Orange Head’ to deflect any attention to Skyjack71’s spouse? Some sensitivity would go a long way now, and this thread is a breeding ground for logic and sensitivity.

Once again, that’s ‘Big Orange Head’. Your continued adherence is much appreciated.